pH 101: Acid-Alkaline Balance & Your Health

157 Comments

Hiya Gorgeous,

You may have heard about pH or the acid-alkaline balance in your wellness travels. I was oblivious to this concept when I began my health journey. But my overall well-being changed when I started to connect the dots between pH balance, inflammation and what I was eating and drinking. I’ve covered this topic in all of my books, but I realize that I haven’t blogged about it for years. Since many of you are new readers (and some of ya could use a little reminder), I thought I’d tackle pH again today. Let’s dive in.

So what the heck is pH?

Remember high school science class? Well, if you don’t, here’s a little refresher course: The body maintains a delicate acid-alkaline balance. Everything from healthy cells to cancer cells to soil quality and ocean life is affected by pH. The term pH stands for “potential hydrogen” which is the measure of hydrogen ions in a particular solution (don’t worry if you’re not science-savvy, I’ll make this easy to understand!). In our case, that “solution” refers to our body’s fluids and tissues.

The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is and ranges from 0 to 14. Seven is neutral. Below 7 becomes increasingly acidic, above 7 increasingly alkaline.

As with most health-related barometers, balance is everything. Proper pH varies throughout your body for many reasons. For example, your bowels, skin and vagina should be slightly acidic–this helps keep unfriendly bacteria away. Saliva is more alkaline, while your urine is normally more acidic, especially in the morning. In addition, your body regularly deals with naturally occurring acids that are the by-products of respiration, metabolism, cellular breakdown and exercise. So clearly the goal is not to think of acid as “bad” and alkaline “good.” Again, it’s a delicate balance.

By far the most important measurement is your blood. For optimal cellular health, your blood pH must be slightly alkaline with a pH between 7.365 and 7.45. Our bodies are programmed to maintain this range no matter what, since even the slightest dip or rise in pH can have seriously dangerous consequences. Now here’s the possible problem: The Standard American Diet (SAD) is rife with acidic substances and foods—meat, dairy, highly processed food products and refined sugar. Environmental toxins can be acidic, too, and sadly, those are pretty dang hard to avoid.

Some research claims our bodies can self-correct in the presence of such acidic materials with no negative health impact—but other studies suggests our bods have to work harder to neutralize the acidic load, resulting in a gradual decline in health. The jury’s still out and further research is needed, but we do know that high acid diets are associated with gout and kidney stones, so it seems likely there’s something to the whole pH and food connection. To that I say, why not tip the scales in the alkaline direction?

The Relationship Between pH & Your Health

Think of the standard American diet (SAD). Most folks are shovelin’ in the acid multiple times per day with tons of sugar, processed foods, factory farmed animal products, etc. One of the biggest pitfalls of the SAD is the toll it takes on the body, especially the digestive system, liver, and kidneys. Inflammation, allergies, arthritis, skin problems, constipation, bowel issues, stress (physical & mental) and chronic disease LOVE this diet. Excess acidity also sets the stage for bad bacteria (like yeast and fungus) and even viruses that wreak havoc on our health.

Look at your plate, peek in your glass. What direction are you moving in? On the pH scale, Soda = 2. Coffee = 4. Cucumber = 7. Get the picture? Burger, fries, diet cola, muffin, candy bar? Acid bath. Green drinks, salads, sprouts? Alkaline bonanza! Your goal is to make more energy deposits than withdrawals. Do you have to be perfect? NO. And it’s not even possible to eat a 100 percent alkaline diet and maintain good health anyway. Foods like beans, grains and nuts are overall quite healthy and essential to a plant-powered diet—yet they’re also slightly acidic. It’s the highly acidic foods we need to be careful about (but no one’s saying don’t have cake on your birthday. Please do.). Again, your goal is to fill your well more than you deplete it. Our bodies forgive the detours and exploration, as long as they don’t take place 24-7.

Testing Your pH

You may be tempted to start testing your pH like a mad woman to make sure you’re on track, but it’s really not necessary. I tested my tinkle a lot when I first learned about pH, but these days I’m comfortable skipping the strips, knowing that I’m doing what I can to contribute to my pH balance with the three diet and lifestyle practices below.

But if you’re still curious, you can test your urine at home with litmus paper strips (available online for about $10). Keep in mind that the pH of urine always varies, depending on what you eat and when, and that you should test your second urine of the day for the best snapshot of what’s going on inside.

Testing your urine can show you how well your body is excreting acids and assimilating minerals. For optimum sparkle, your urine should fall in the 6.8 to 7.5 pH range.

Get more actionable steps for living a healthy & vibrant life straight to your inbox:

Top 3 Ways to Support pH Balance

1. Start your day with a tall glass of lemon water and stay hydrated.

While lemons are acidic in their natural form, lemon water is alkaline-forming in the body. Drench your cells in alkalinity each morning with two cups of lukewarm, filtered water with ¼ fresh-squeezed lemon. Yes, there are fancy (and expensive) water ionizers out there, but you can also alkalize your water by simply adding lemon.

It’s not just diet that affects your pH. Lack of exercise and an overage of anger, drugs, cigs and stress can create inflammation and acidity in the body. Stress isn’t a laughing matter or a badge of courage. The work-hard, play-hard, deal-with-it-later approach is a big pH no-no. Emotional stress releases acid-forming hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that flood your system and muck up your soil. Whether it’s through more yoga, cat naps, meditation, breathing exercises, strolls in the woods or stress management counseling, reducing the negativity in your day-to-day is a powerful way to improve your cellular health.

Alkaline vs. Acidic Foods

How do we know if a food is alkaline or acidic, and by how much? The most common method is to incinerate a sample of the food and analyze the mineral content of the ash. Not something you can do with a chemistry set from Toys “R” Us. At any rate, if the ash is high in alkaline minerals, the food will probably have an alkalizing effect. That’s the theory, anyway. Because lab results and experts often disagree, the many books and Web sites that give alkaline and acidic food charts also disagree. Usually the disagreement is minor. In some cases, though, it’s much bigger.

Whether a food is mildly alkalizing or mildly acidifying doesn’t really matter very much. There are definitely shades of gray. What’s far more important is to understand what’s highly acidic and thus also inflammatory in order to make better choices. And I’ve added some resources to help you do just that.

157 Responses…

Like your article, I balance my diet with high pH ionic alkaline water. One such water I was lucky to find was alkapower.
The research I did found that by way of eating and drinking foods that were alkaline I had to eat large amounts and most alkaline waters were inactive minerals.

This alkapower is calcium infused with active minerals and a pH of nearly 10 which helped with my super greens in the morning because this drinks minerals are bio available.
I’m very passionate about this hence giving you some feedback.
All the best
Nathan.

Some people talk about measuring the pH of the blood, lymph, saliva or urine to try to determine whether the pH of the cells is high enough. It won’t work:

“Another interesting book is; Alkalize or Die, by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody. In Chapter one, he describes the difficulty of getting an accurate pH reading of the body by measuring the pH of urine, saliva, or other body fluids. He also describes how a healthy regimen can cause these ph measurements to indicate acid, as the healing process removes the acid causing materials from the body.http://www.healthrecipes.com/ph_cancer.htm

This is one of the quotes in the Baroody book that supports that statement:

“At present no tests can accurately gauge how acid you are because current diagnostic methods reveal only that acid wastes are present in body fluids (blood, lymph, urine, mucous, and saliva). Such tests never give a reliable indicator of how much acid waste is actually in the system, because the fluids are always running through the tissues attempting to remove these excess tissue acid wastes. Therefore, although it is possible to measure body fluid as being alkaline or acid, it is impossible to evaluate the state of body tissues (skin, organs, glands, muscles, ligaments, arteries and vessels) based solely on blood, urine, or saliva tests.

Unfortunately, waste acids that are not eliminated when they should be are reabsorbed from the colon into the liver and put back into general circulation. They then deposit in the tissues. It is these tissue residues that determine sickness or health!

Alkalize or Die, by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, N.D, D.C, Ph.D., page 15

He states that the only real way to tell if your tissue is acidic or alkaline is to analyze your diet.
Also the water you drink & the emotional stress you go through.

If alkaline foods has been discussed above, a good option for CLEAN,HEALTH,ALKALINE , ANTIoxidant water is ionized water from a QUALITY water ionizer:

I suffered from severe mouth ulcers & skin blisters for 6 years & used prednisone a lot to alleviate them…bad choice! It has tremendous negative side effects & causes new diseases as a side effect. 6 months ago I learned about the acid/alkaline balance. I was very acidic so in addition to incorporating greens with every meal I starting drinking organic apple cider morning & evening. Braggs is the brand I use. I dilute 2 tbsp in a cup of filtered water morning & evening. It has been life changing!!!! No more sores & my PH is balanced! Sounds Crazy but I must say my illness was for my spiritual growth so I wouldn’t take back the pain & suffering cuz as a result I’m an enlightened, appreciative, mindful, aware being who needed a devastating illness to WAKE UP & truly start living. Thank you universe. Love you Kris!

Apple cider vinegar is alkalizing, although doctors often recommend it for patients who are combatting depression and/or want to lose weight despite the fact that there’s very little research proving those claims. Apple cider vinegar does have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties when used topically, and it may help to boost your immune system with its alkalizing effects. xo, Kris

i was taking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinger after dinner, my yeast went crazy,am coming out of a bad allergie attack from it,so i believe i need to bring my alkaline down to normal,right and i’m not understanding how to do this.

I was wondering what on earth was kicking my butt causing among other things ,very sore and sensitive tongue and gums, I had recently started taking two tablespoons of acv with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda , twice per day.
Have a history of chronic acidity all my life from massive ODs of pennicillin as a kid.
Like 5 & 6 large syringes every day for 5 months into a 4 &5 year old.
Thought I had it reasonably under control but had to change from the mixed vinegar tabs as could no longer get them, so started Heel Multi Mag with Zinc and Heel utimag, again thinking it should be under control, only to find my PH reads 5.6 and the cva seems to make it worse.
HELPPPPP!

ACV is great for sinuses! I had what felt like a sinus infection, the internet suggested ACV in warm water, chug it down. That made the feeling that a truck was trying to exit my face go away completely.

My body has become very alkaline vs acidic after adopting a vegan diet nine years ago this coming September. I chose diet rather than traditional treatments for aggressive cancer that was diagnosed on September 15, 2005. My 73-year-old body is completely free of any pain(s). The only medication that I take is drops for eye pressure.

My wife had lupus for 15 years; she was diagnosed lupus free after becoming vegan.

Hi Larry I was wondering when you said “you deviate from the vegan diet when away from home”, do you mean you eat beef, chicken, fish, breads, dessert etc…? How often does this happen… weekly, monthly, rarely? Just curious 🙂 I do pretty well with staying alkaline but I have a hard time giving up my grass fed beef weekly. I love beef and grass fed butter.
Thank You!! and congratulations on staying alive and healthy!
K

I truly don’t believe anything is a coincidence and I’ve been suffering so much lately, well actually for a long time but I’ve become much more aware of how much it affects my life lately. I have a condition called Iterstisial Cystitis ( my apologies if the the spelling isn’t correct) Anyway, it’s very painful bladder condition where the protective lining of the bladder no longer exists so everything that goes through the bladder can cause spasms to the surrounding muscles and nerves so anyway needless to say…The more acid, The more painful! Yet I have ( until reading your blog) refused to stopped drinking coffee and other things that cause pain. Thank you very much for sharing! It couldn’t have come at a better time as I’m starting a yoga teacher training program and this will hopefully help me balance body as balance mind as well! PS if you have any other helpful hints I would appreciate them as well Thanks!

I have been taking baby steps into a more alkaline life since I started following you. You are an inspiration!
You advise putting lemon juice in warm water. In my experience, the organic lemons available in my area are green and very sour. I place them in a paper bag, but they don’t ripen much:( My question is could I use lemon essential oil (or lemongrass)? And what would the pH of the EO be? Love&Light♡ Sandy

If you have a high grade essential oil like Young Living or DoTerra they can be ingested. Other oils can have fillers and/or pesticides and other junk. I think lemon essential oil is an excellent alternative to out-of-season lemons. I agree, they are expensive and nasty out of season (as is most produce). So I’m waiting for the Texas lemons this winter! So excited!

Just a note, I would be very careful about ingesting oils. My Aunt who is a distributer for Young Living was ingesting the oils because she was told they are safe. She started having issues with her throat (she was swollowing them in capsules). Her doctor said she has to have a particular water, she is now being told to eat gluten free and some other things. It caused issues with her lining in her throat. Not sure if it was too potent or overuse, who knows, just be careful 🙂

Oregano oil can be destructive to the throat lining, according to the formulator of the oils I use (it may hold of all of the hot oils as well), .but usually, if a drop of oregano is included in a veggie cap w/Carrier oil, such coconut or olive, it is safe to swallow. I wouldn’t do it often though, but only for a serious health issue, & after researching a lot first.

Essential oil of lemon, which is usually made by pressing the peel (rather than the pulp as is the case with lemon juice) also has an alkalizing effect on the body. Lemongrass may also have an alkalizing effect, although it’s hard to determine specifically which would be best and what the pH would be. If fresh lemons aren’t the best option, a few drops of the essential oil in a glass of water or consuming lemongrass may be great habits for keeping your system alkaline. xo, kc

Thanks, Kris! I’ve been drinking filtered water with a lemon sliced up in it and a cucumber. All day long! Just add more filtered water as I pour myself more refrigerated lemon/cuke water. My skin looks great!
PS: How are Buddy and Lola? Hope all is well!

Hi, love this article! Very informative but I have a question. I’ve heard about the lemon water before but I’m violently allergic to lemon of any kind. I’m on a very tight budget right now and this special water sounds out of my grasp. Any suggestions on something I could substitute that won’t break the bank? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you!

Clear and concise article explaining what can sometimes be a daunting subject. Personally I loved finding out about this stuff and for the last 3 years have been living as alkaline as possible and noticed significant results (not that I was ill or anything before – just normal really). So much so, that I love to share with others this information. Let’s sort out people’s health, energy and vitality once and for all! 🙂

The acid in your stomach is needed to break down proteins properly, which is a separate issue from the acidity or alkalinity of a food. Many foods are acidic in their natural state, but the acidity/alkalinity of a food is the effect that food has on the pH of the body. Absorption of all foods happens in the intestinal tract and that absorption is what can affect the pH of your blood and tissues. xo, kc

That question baffled me for a long time too; I now know that eating & drinking, as Kris has laid out, while optimal, sadly isn’t happening a whole lot in our society, except for those who are really into health (which thankfully is increasing!), but millions still seem clueless due to lack of education or ‘ignorance is bliss’ attitudes. It is also still challenging when one has to travel, work outside the home, endless holidays, vacations, etc. I was very grateful indeed to learn that taking a superior quality vitamin/mineral//herbal supplement daily will provide the body with those essential minerals & nutrients the body needs to maintain that fine pH line, so it doesn’t’ have to rob the bones, etc. to maintain the blood/cell pH. I highly recommend looking into that as an important part of an optimal health regimen. All the Best in Health! 🙂

I got to hear a doctor who treats with diet more then drugs talk about health issues and he described what exactly happens when we digest food. The little sphincters at the top of the stomach is not working right and it lets acid seep up into the throat, acid reflux. When the one at the bottom doesn’t work right then it lets acid into the intestines.
Neither are good. I can’t remember the reasons he gave for their dysfunction but I believe it’s when the stomach has to much acid. but I do know that the SAD (standard American diet) had way to much acid producing foods. We have the highest rates of diabetes, heart disease and acid reflux and cancer. If you ever watch tv and see all those drug commercials listen to what they are for.
The best balance is eating mostly alkaline foods with some acidic foods but not at the same meal.

Thanks Kris! What a great reminder & topic. I completely agree and try to make conscious decisions in life that will help keep me in ph balance. I even find myself sometimes playing catch up when I’ve indulged on vacation or a holiday by o.d.ing on greens & zen. Its a fine science, but somebody’s got to do it :)!

I found you through Marie Forleo, and I am so blessed to find another dynamic, passionate and heat driven woman. I love the way you write, and this post especially. As a skin care professional, I am constantly nagging (lovingly of course..wink) my clients about PH in their bodies, and in their skincare products. Knowing about PH is critical if someone wants to live a healthy life and have gorgeous skin. You have wonderful tips that I will forward to my clients. Thank you again for living passionately and sharing valuable and truthful information with me and others. YOU ROCK!!!! .
Cody M.

Hi Kris!
Loved your book, love your blog. My partner is a presence facilitator and she helps people listen to their bodies for healing power. My family has high blood pressure and I’ve lowered mine!
We bought a water ionizer – WE LOVE IT!!! I can’t imagine never having one. Helps keep our PH balances in check – AND it preserves our vegetables from the farmers’ mkt like no one’s business.

I just wrote a book and wondering if you’d be interested in endorsing it. It’s about Mindful Leadership. Many leaders I coach ask if what they east affects their ability to be present – when I start discussing health and diet, they get it very quickly.

Kris –
Thank you for refreshing our memories on the ying and yang of acidic and alkaline! I am one of your many followers that feel blessed to have you devoting your life to making the world a healthier, happier and sexier place to be! I reap the benefits of your studious knowledge and witty explanations! Keep up your amazing, inspirational work!

I love your blogs, you make the information so accessible without being condemning or fear mongering! Keep up the great work, Kris. Thank you for spreading the good word about good nutrition, and for being a shining example to so many!

Yes, my acupuncturist who specializes in cancer (breast cancer stage 1 for me) says to take 1 lime a day, cut it in half, and pulverize the entire half lime in the blender and add water. Do the same thing in the afternoon for the other half of the lime. Skin and all. Skin has great source of vit C. And I agree, I tolerate lime much better than lemon.

Yessssss. Thank you! My wish is that everyone eating a SAD would read this and take action to change. Walking down the aisles of most supermarkets is a lesson in dis-ease and literally, the world would be a more healthy and peaceful place if your words were taken to heart.

I loved your book and consider myself a very healthy person. Sure I could exercise a little more and drink a little less alcohol but come onnnn 😉
I actually have the opposite problem-too low acidity, too alkaline/a higher pH balance. And yes, I am referring to the girl bits. Any advice on this? Xoxo

You’re right—your vagina shouldn’t be too alkaline since a pH of more than 4.7 may contribute to microbial overgrowth (study here: http://1.usa.gov/1vWOyXs). If it is, it could be indicative of too little estrogen, an infection, or chronic inflammation. Check with your naturopathic doc to investigate further and see what treatment (if any) he/she recommends. xo, kc

Great article. Very interesting. We have been eating a vegetarian/vegan diet for four years now.
Wow what a difference your body feels by eating healthier foods! I am starting be concerned about the chemicals found in face, soap, etc products. So thanks again. Good read!

Wow! thank you so much!
I really enjoyed reading this post. easy to understand and to put in practice.
Definitely I am going to implement the morning water lemon and drop the intake of coffee.
Much love and health.
Amalia

I love your easy, breezy writing style, explaining things like pH in terms we can all relate to. I’d like to add one little note.

Four years ago I was treated for an aggressive breast cancer at An Oasis of Healing in Arizona. The diet was raw vegan, yet I often had acidic urine. Dr Lodi explained that testing the urine wasn’t really an accurate way to know what is happening in the cells of the body, because the cells can be throwing off acids and becoming more alkaline, but the acids they toss off will show up in the urine, turning it acidic.

He also said there is no simple way to home test for pH of the cells. So, if you’re on an alkaline diet but your urine is still testing too acidic, don’t worry, Just keep eating those veggies and lemon juice.

since I don’t know how to delete my post as I was an airhead and mistook it or just contacting you, I can say that I do the lemon water every morning and I think it is amazing! I often use tap water, so is that ok?

Kris – u continue to be an amazing inspiration!! The world & humanity flourish with ppl like u. I hope I can inspire many with my service/business: cooking & nutrition workshops. Thanks TONZ for your blogs – I will share them with my students.

Wish it wasn’t so expensive to do alkaline diet and a little easier… so hard with 4 kids, now out of work b/c of cancer treatments (no paycheck), but paying $1600/month for healthcare. Also, gained weight on chemo & alkaline diet (increase in carbs from my Atkins for the past 16 years). Wheatgrass & organic produce is expensive. Doing the best I can. The hardest is coffee! Haven’t found a substitute that has that bitter “bite”. Tried Cafix, Teeccino, Yerba Mate, Ayurvedic roast. 🙁 Thanks for the tips… I do try to eat as healthy as I can. I’m not doing this again!

Have you ever heard of the Yoli better body system. The system aligns perfectly with pH balance Kris is talking about. If you want to watch a powerful video on pH go to yoli.com/videos and scroll down to “Alkalete-Explained” video. Thanks!

Thank you for the “update”. You are so inspiring! I have read your book and made a lot of changes in my way of eating! I just bought a juicer and make green juices in the morning. I would say that I try to eat 60/40 according to your book. It is a big change for me! Heading for 70/30!
Best regards from Anette in sunny Gothenburg, Sweden

I am so happy to read this artice. It was sent to me by my daughter- in- law. I was recently commentong to her that I was talking to the PA at my dermatologists office about PH balance and she replied that she didn’t know what that was… I was shocked and of course have lost all confidence in her. Sad!!
Thank you for revisiting this subject..

Having lemon water first thing in the morning was such a game changer for me. Water in general first thing in the morning really helps kick start my body. I feel more alert after drinking water. Thanks for the refresher on pH 😀

Hi Kris,
delighted to read this today, shared on a FB’s friend page, exactly the motivation I needed to get back to my healthy habits.
Question: I wonder though is it ok to press a couple of lemons and mix it with water to last for a few mornings (I guess I shouldn’t store it in the fridge or it’ll be too cold?) Just as a time saver for the rush of the mornings. And it would still be better than concentrated lemon juice (which is highly available here) ?

This is really interesting information. Thank you for taking time to share (or re-share as you stated) and for caring about others the way you do. I appreciate you and all the great info you provide. 🙂

I go to my health food store and fill up glass jugs with reverse osmosis water (gets rid of all the fluoride and chloramines). Do you know what the ph is for this kind of water? I’ve heard Spring Water that has not had the minerals removed is a better choice, but for many of us this isn’t an option.

Hi there!! Thank you for sharing everything you know about health and wellness, but also for being such a positive and spiritual influence. I look forward to your articles, recipes and well, everything, which also includes my latest purchase of Crazy Sexy Diet!! 😉 After reading this article about pH 101, I wanted to ask if it would be a good idea to include lemon in my water throughout the day to keep it alkalize. Is that too much, if I’m drinking 8+ glasses of water?

Iwas doing ACV in the morning, but i do not have much time. Wonderedabout taking the supplements that are to be on empty stomach or with water, which should come first or is there a time interval? Going to get the bottle back in the bedroom. Works better than lemon as the bedroom is upstairs.

My body became extremely alkaline vs acidic after a diet change in 2005 to vegan. Cancer cannot survive in an alkaline environment. I was diagnosed with aggressive cancer in 2005. Diet was all I did to combat cancer–no surgery, chemo, or radiation.

Many other benefits include elimination of joint pain, headaches, acid reflux, and other health problems.

Thanks for the reminders… They are so helpful and welcome. I have been in love with your amazing story since it began and am overjoyed that you are sharing all your wellbeing tips. Your books are brilliantly funny and inspirational. Thank You Thank You Thank You Kris. YOU ROCK!!!!

Bodys pH plays such an important role. The public needs to catch up. I use ph papers weekly to check my body’s ph to assure its within the safe range 7.4-7.8. Its as helpful as brushing ones teeth in preventative health care!